This section provides background information that is related to the present disclosure, but that is not necessarily prior art.
Various cellular (or biological) materials can be used to assist a healing or recovery process in a human patient. Selected cell types, such as stromal cells, pluripotent or multipotent stem cells, or fully differentiated cells, can be applied therapeutically to the patient. For example, stem cells can be applied to an affected area of the patient, such as an area that may be damaged due to injury, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, to assist in healing the area through differentiation of the stem cells and regeneration of the affected cells.
In performing a therapeutic procedure on a human patient using undifferentiated cells, such as stem cells or stromal cells, the undifferentiated cells can be obtained from various sources, including the patient's own anatomy. Accordingly, certain autologous cells can be applied to or injected into various portions of the anatomy of the patient. Generally, a whole tissue or whole blood sample can be obtained from the patient during a first procedure, selected cells can be separated from the whole tissue or blood sample, and the selected, separated cells can be reapplied to or injected into the patient during a subsequent procedure.